在州长格伦·扬金(Glenn Youngkin)在该州选举前两天撤退后，弗吉尼亚州共和党人可能会看到来自顶级捐助者的现金流入利害攸关的立法选举下个月。
“红背心务虚会”以扬金在2021年竞选期间穿的羊毛命名，于周二和周三举行。这是一个最新的例子，表明扬金的风险有多高，因为他看到了共和党对大会的完全控制。
“当你考虑时机的时候，在我看来，杨金州长似乎正在全力以赴地争取一个统一的共和党立法机构，并在本届任期的最后两年尽可能多地安装他的议程，”雷德福大学(Radford University)政治学教授兼主席查普曼·拉克维(Chapman Rackaway)博士说。
虽然杨金被一些著名的捐赠者视为潜在的2024年总统竞选的迟到者一位参加务虚会的人告诉ABC新闻，他仍然把重点放在弗吉尼亚州。
“现在对他来说最重要的是照顾好弗吉尼亚，”这位捐赠者说。“未来的某件事有时间吗?我不知道。他是那种我希望看到执掌我们国家的人。”
就在上个月，杨金回避了有关他潜在的白宫野心的问题，而是说:“让人们到处宣扬我的名字，作为一个可能争夺世界上最受尊敬和尊重的办公室的人，我认为这是非常令人羞愧的。”
值得注意的是，这位要求不透露姓名的捐助者坦率地说，他们仍在“等待和观望”在2024年共和党初选总统候选人中支持谁。
另一位参加务虚会的捐助者说，大约有75-100名来自全国各地的与会者，“尽管他们忠实地坚持弗吉尼亚的讨论主题。”
玛丽·华盛顿大学的政治分析师斯蒂芬·法恩斯沃思告诉美国广播公司新闻，虽然他认为扬金不太可能在这次选举中竞选总统，但“被谈论总比不谈论好得多。”
2023年9月26日，弗吉尼亚州州长格伦·扬金在华盛顿接受采访时发表讲话。
斯蒂芬妮·斯卡布罗/美联社
“他已经能够为弗吉尼亚州的候选人筹集大量资金，并让自己参与2028年的对话，”法恩斯沃思说，并补充说，即使扬金能够成功控制州议会，他立即加入总统竞选也不符合逻辑。
“想象扬金在2024年作为候选人可能会说些什么或做些什么，从而改变(唐纳德·特朗普)在共和党提名中的巨大优势，这在精神上具有挑战性，”法恩斯沃思说，他指的是这位在民调中领先的前总统。
法恩斯沃思表示，由于扬金在立法选举中投入了如此之多的资金，如果民主党最终控制了一个议院，他不仅会看到两年多的时间不得不在分裂的大会中穿梭，这可能会阻碍关键的保守派优先事项-他“将落后于其他有成功立法成就记录的共和党候选人。”
最近几个月，竞争激烈的选举已经从两党那里获得了大量资金。
扬金的弗吉尼亚精神政治行动委员会(Spirit of Virginia political action Committee)主办了本周的大捐助者务虚会，此前已经吸引了巨额资金——收到了亿万富翁托马斯·佩特弗利(Thomas Petterfly)的三笔100万美元捐款和杰夫·亚斯(Jeff Yass)的200万美元捐款。根据一份新闻稿，政治行动委员会还在11月选举前的最后一个季度筹集了745万美元。
扬金的政治顾问兼政治行动委员会主席戴夫·雷克斯罗德(Dave Rexrode)在一份声明中说，“扬金州长正在花费他所有的时间、精力和资源，帮助弗吉尼亚州的共和党人控制众议院和参议院，以便我们能够推动英联邦向前发展。”。
民主党人也在选举中投入了历史性的巨额资金，因为他们希望重新控制众议院，并保持他们在州参议院的微弱多数。
9月，民主党全国委员会投资120万美元，使民主党全国委员会对弗吉尼亚州民主党的捐款总额达到150万美元。民主党立法竞选委员会也花费了220万美元。
“到目前为止，我们一直在与杨金保持同步，但我们肯定会对他可能收到的任何资金流入发出警报，”DLCC发言人Abhi Rahman告诉ABC新闻。“在这样的比赛中，所有的资源都很重要。我们需要所有的人都来帮忙。”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin courts donors ahead of high-stakes Va. elections
Virginia Republicans could see an influx of cash from top donors following Gov. Glenn Youngkin's two-day retreat ahead of the state'shigh-stakes legislative electionsnext month.
The "Red Vest Retreat," named after the fleece Youngkin wore during his 2021 campaign, was held on Tuesday and Wednesday. It's the latest example of how high the stakes are seen as for Youngkin, as he eyes total GOP control of the General Assembly.
"When you consider the timing, it appears to me like Gov. Youngkin is all-in on getting a unified Republican legislature and installing as much of his agenda in as he can in the last two years of this term," said Dr. Chapman Rackaway, a professor and chair of political science at Radford University.
While Youngkin has been eyed by some prominent donors as a potentiallate entrant in the 2024 presidential race, someone who attended the retreat told ABC News that he remains focused on Virginia.
"What's best for him right now is to take care of Virginia," this donor said. "Is there a time for something in the future? I don't know. He's the kind of person I would love to see at the helm of our country."
As recently as last month, Youngkin avoided questions about his potential White House ambitions, saying instead: "To have people throw my name around and as somebody who would potentially vie for, I think, the most revered and respected office in the world is hugely humbling."
Notably, the donor, who asked not to be quoted by name to speak candidly, said they are still "waiting and seeing" who to support among the 2024 GOP primary presidential candidates.
Another donor who attended the retreat said that there were about 75-100 attendees from all over the country, "though they faithfully stuck to Virginia for discussion topics."
Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington, told ABC News that while he believes Youngkin is unlikely to launch a presidential run this election, "It is much better to be talked about than not."
"He's been able to generate a lot of fundraising for Virginia candidates and has put himself in the conversation for 2028," Farnsworth said, adding that even if Youngkin is able to succeed in gaining control of the state Legislature, it would not be logical for him to immediately join the presidential race.
"It is mentally challenging to imagine what Youngkin could say or do as a candidate in 2024 that would change the dynamics of [Donald] Trump's huge advantage in the Republican nomination," Farnsworth said, referring to the former president, who is the front-runner in polls.
Farnsworth said that because Youngkin has invested so much in the legislative elections, if Democrats end up controlling one chamber, he will not only see two more years of having to navigate a split General Assembly, which will likely block key conservative priorities -- he "will be behind other Republican candidates who have successful records of legislative accomplishment."
The highly competitive election has already seen significant amounts of money in recent months from both parties.
Youngkin's Spirit of Virginia political action committee, which hosted this week's megadonor retreat, has previously drawn in huge sums -- receiving three $1 million donations from billionaire Thomas Petterfly and a $2 million donation from Jeff Yass. The PAC also raised $7.45 million in the final quarter before the November elections, according to a news release.
"Gov. Youngkin is spending all his time, energy and resources helping Virginia Republicans hold the House and flip the Senate so we can move the commonwealth forward," Dave Rexrode, Youngkin's political adviser and chairman of his PAC, said in a statement.
Democrats have also poured historic amounts of money into the elections as they hope to regain control of the House of Delegates and maintain their narrow majority in the state Senate.
In September, the Democratic National Committee invested $1.2 million, bringing the total contribution from the DNC to the Democratic Party of Virginia to $1.5 million. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee has also spent $2.2 million.
"We've been keeping pace with Youngkin so far, but we're definitely sounding the alarm of any influx of money he might receive," DLCC spokesperson Abhi Rahman told ABC News. "In races like these, all of the resources count. We need all hands on deck here."
